But first, the morning. I woke up with the lights/alarm, but went back to sleep. Up again around 9, had stuff to do on the tablet, found a video clip I've been looking for. Ordered a replacement lens shade for the Tamron, and breathe-right strips. Tried the generics, they are too small.

As I was tabletting, Spook jumped onto the bed and came right up to my hand. As usual she accepted some knuckle pets, but bailed as soon as I tried to pet her back.

Up at 11 or so, drove to Lowe's and did a lot of walking to find the plug-in light bulb widget, and then realized I have plug-in fluorescent lights already, so put that somewhere random and went home.

Hooked up the light to the carport outlet and found the right breaker first try. But as it was almost 90° and climbing, instead of making the repair I went inside and turned up the air conditioner.

At about 2:30 I found the last of the beer battered chicken legs, reheated them and also reheated the last batch of satay sauce. Which doesn't reheat very well.

Watched some TV, forgot to read or to update the laptop. Watered all the indoor plants. Many of them may end up in the green bin tomorrow, the carnivores are mostly not doing well, or their job.

Mimi Tran posted that the show would start at 6, previous announcements said 7. I figured on getting there early and checking out the site, so at a little after 4 I was hunting for parking in the Santana Row garage. There are signs saying how many free spaces on each floor, but they lie. In real time.

By the time I parked it was 99° on the car readout.

It was a long walk to the place where the show was being held, across the street from the new shop. Minions outside the shop told me the show wasn't till 8. Grr. I did not get the memo telling me where photographers were supposed to go. I think I was supposed to be able to shoot inside the shop as the models were prepared, but maybe not. It looked too crowded in there so I just sat around for a while. Got thirsty, walked most of the way back to my favorite bakery/softdrinkery and got a peppermint Italian soda. Drank some in their air conditioning, and some just outside (more eye candy) and then took it back most of the way to the runway site. Three Santana security guards were keeping people out of the area, but by about 6, they were no longer paying attention so I got a seat on the wall facing the runway and the shop. A very rude family with infant crowded in next to me, so I moved to the other side of the runway.

There was a 3-man band, it was pretty good, and drew quite a crowd. But at 7 the band in the Mexican place behind the runway fired up, which was rude.

I expected a line of chairs on each side of the runway, but that never happened. There was some amateur stage lighting brought in, but it was far from adequate for an 8 pm show. 7 pm would not have needed lights. The wall was several feet from the runway, and I really needed my 85mm fast lens, but had only brought the 35mm and the not-fast 28-300 Tamron which doesn't have motion control. I should have brought the Nikon, which does. But I brought the right lenses for what I was told would be the conditions. I also didn't bring a flash for a 7 pm show.

There was no announcer, and people with cell phones jumped in front of me from time to time, ruined a few shots. And pissed me off. There were also a few people standing in front, who should have been sat down, but there was no one from Mimi's doing any sort of crowd control. They were doing a lot of running back and forth for no apparent reason.

The fashions were excellent, as expected. Mimi finally showed up after the last one, in one of the dresses which a model had been in the show with. She's pretty enough to model, just not tall enough. I have not seen her in couple of years, she looks much older. Her new partner is a doofus. Busines partner.

The band

First class seating

Elite photographers' section

Bridal gown - front

Bridal Gown - back

Pièce De Résistance - front

Pièce De Résistance - back. The woman sitting next to me jumped up in front of me and blocked my best shot.

Waited till Mimi came out, got some poor pix of her with some fandweeb.I don't know who he is, but he blocked a lot of my shots running back and forth with his stupid cell phone.

Back to the car, but the line to leave the garage wasn't moving, so I went back to Santana Row, found a seat and watched an amazing parade of people in all shapes, colors and sizes, but it being Saturday Night a huge amount of eye candy, and it being still in the mid-80's, a huge amount of scantily clad women.

Back to the car at about 10, it was still stop and go, but at least there was a "go" element.

Home, GPS put me in the wrong lane for the freeway, thanks to a revised freeway entrance. I ended up circumnavigating San Jose.

Watched some of the 6 o'clock news. Changed the Tivo recording from NBC to Fox. The local Fox channel doesn't use the national Fox news, they are based in Oakland, and the anchors' diversity reflects that. It's my preferred news station, but my antenna doesn't always pick it up well. Tonight it was doing fine.

Spook is being bizarre. Instead of parking in one of the doggie beds as I typed this, she was curled up under the runner carpet. I sprinkled her with some water, and now she is on top of the runner.

Plans for tomorrow:Change out that carport outlet. I haven't heard from Janice. Hmmm.